Howell Puts Heart Into Memorial Meet

Antonio Nieto has never met Pete Bagrow, but he’s closely following in the footsteps of a fellow Adrian Madison basketball player.

Last month, Nieto passed Bagrow to become the all-time leading scorer in Madison boys basketball history. Nieto was the first player in school history to break the 1,000-point barrier and will play college basketball at Siena Heights University, just like Bagrow.

“Tell him I said congratulations,” said Bagrow, a 1984 Madison graduate and now general manager of sales at a car dealership in Texas. “But, kid him a little that he had the 3-point shot and played in more games.”

In an age where it seems more and more players are surpassing 1,000 points and piling up large scoring totals, Nieto was a steady, consistent player during his four years at Madison. He reached 30 points just twice in his career – with his career high 31. He made a career-high 28 3-pointers this season – a figure surpassed by 20 players in Lenawee County alone.

“I think it is interesting that in my 20 years at Madison, and all of the good players we have had, none scored 1,000 points,” said Madison coach Erik Thompson. “Antonio made it a goal his freshman year and got it. He’s a basketball-only kid. He loves the game.”

Nieto benefited from the MHSAA’s five-quarter rule as a freshman, where he could play four quarters of junior varsity and stick around for another quarter as a varsity player. He practiced with both teams – one before school and one after.

“The other guys accepted me, so it was good,” he said. “It took a little bit of adjusting to get used to varsity, but not too much.”

By his sophomore year he was averaging in double figures. His junior year he averaged 18.1 points a game, and it started to dawn on him that 1,000 points was within reach.

“I’d see his name on the (record) board,” Nieto said about Bagrow. “After my sophomore year, I started thinking about 1,000 points. Last year, I would sort of keep an eye on where I was. I knew I could get it this year.”

The mission was accomplished during a 12-game Madison win streak this season that included a 43-37 win over previously-unbeaten Onsted, which was ranked among the top five teams in the state in Division 2 at the time. That win helped Madison clinch its first league championship in a decade.

“That was big,” Nieto said. “We knew we could beat them. The first time we played them, we watched film and we were confident, then the game came and they beat us by 25. Even in the locker room after that game, we knew that the next time we played we could get them.”

Nieto’s 15 points in that game helped Madison secure the upset, and it was during that victory that he reached 1,000. Before that, Madison was the only team in Lenawee County history without a 1,000-point scorer.

Nieto said his game evolved over his four years, especially thanks to hitting the weight room.

“I got a lot stronger,” he said. “I put up a lot of shots in the gym, too.”

Madison went through some changes during Nieto’s varsity career as well. The school was in the Tri-County Conference his freshman and sophomore seasons but moved to the Lenawee County Athletic Association last year. His freshman season was also the first time Madison played in Division 2.

This season the Trojans shared the LCAA title with Onsted, the first trophy won during Nieto’s four seasons.

“We had a good season. I’m satisfied,” Nieto said. “I wish we would have won more. I think we won 55 games in my four years. That’s pretty good.”

Nieto chose to stay close for college, selecting Siena Heights, which is just a few miles from his home. Among reasons is his close-knit family.

“My sister always comes to my games, my mom and dad and my uncles,” he said. “They all sit in the same spot and sit together. I know they are there.

“Sometimes my mom will get after me about playing defense. It helps me having them there.”

His basketball family is close-knit, too.

“Not that we weren’t a family last year, but I think this year we really became a close family, all the players and coaches,” he said. “I think that is what helped us get over the top.”

Madison’s 18 wins this season were the most for the Trojans since 2015-16.

The school celebrated Nieto becoming the all-time leading scorer, something Bagrow doesn’t recall happening when he was in school.

“I think they painted the number 974 (his career point total) on a piece of plywood and hung it in the school. I think the guy I passed had the record for only two or three years,” he said. “I can’t believe the record has held this long. That’s 40 years.”

Doug Donnelly has served as a news and sports reporter at the Adrian Daily Telegram and the Monroe News for 30 years, including 10 years as city editor in Monroe. He's written a book on high school basketball in Monroe County and compiles record books for various schools in southeast Michigan. He is now publisher and editor of The Blissfield Advance, a weekly newspaper. E-mail him at [email protected] with story ideas for Jackson, Washtenaw, Hillsdale, Lenawee and Monroe counties.

PHOTOS (Top) Adrian Madison’s Antonio Nieto (4) puts up a shot during a game this season. (Middle) Nieto, holding a banner, celebrates his 1,000^th career point surrounded by family. (Top photo by Tyler George.)